San Yuan Li (2003)

San Yuan Li is a 2003 experimental independent Chinese documentary directed and produced by artists Ou Ning and Cao Fei Armed with video cameras twelve artists present a highly stylized portrait of San Yuan Li a traditional village besieged by Chinas urban sprawl Chinas rapid modernization literally traps the village of San Yuan Li within the surrounding skyscrapers of Guangzhou a city of 12 million people The villagers move to a different rhythm thriving on subsistence farming and traditional crafts They resourcefully reinvent their traditional lifestyle by tending rice paddies on empty city lots and raising chickens on makeshift rooftop coops